About John F Francis

Name variants

John F Frances
  • Biography

    Born in Philadelphia, John Francis became a key artist in the mid-19th century revival of still life painting in America but was not recognized during his lifetime. His focus was "luncheon" or "dessert" type subjects, which he rendered in bright, radiant color, a breaking away from the stern mode taught by the Peale family of artists in Philadelphia.

    His style is highly realistic and arguably fits the criteria of trompe l'oeil in that the objects are to scale, are arranged on a flat plane, and thrust forward into the viewer space. There is a suggestion of some disorder, giving the impression that a person has just been there. It is also thought that he influenced Michael Harnett, the founder of trompe l'oeil still life painting, and...

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